


Oakenshield of 221B Baker Street

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 10:46:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14591364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: One dark and stormy night the detective, Thorin Oakenshield is consulted by Inspector Dwalin.





	Oakenshield of 221B Baker Street

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as an experiment, to see how I managed with writing a fusion.

“I’m glad we don’t need to go out tonight,” Bilbo Baggins remarked, as he settled into his armchair.  “This is a night better suited to a pipe and a good book.”  He leaned back and blew a couple of smoke rings before finding his place in his book.  
  
Thorin Oakenshield merely grunted, far too engrossed in his commonplace book to bother replying; spread across the table were a number of articles cut from newspapers which he was collating for future use.  They two sat in companionable silence until they heard the sound of a cab drawing to a halt outside.   
  
Thorin glanced out of the window and said, “It seems we shall be called out after all, for I can see Inspector Dwalin.  No, wait a minute, the cab’s leaving again, we won’t have to go.  Run down and let Dwalin in.”  
  
In a few minutes, Bilbo returned, followed by a wet looking Dwalin.  He had left his outdoor cloak downstairs, but he continued to drip.  
  
“Warm yourself up by the fire,” Thorin said, “and then take a seat.  I’m assuming something serious has happened to bring you out in this weather.”  
  
Dwalin merely grunted, and accepted the drink Bilbo offered him.  When he was sufficiently dry, he sat down and said, “I’m sure you’re aware there have been a number of high profile jewel thefts recently, even though they have been kept out of the papers.”  
  
“Yes,” Thorin replied.  “I’ve even been consulted in a couple of the cases, where the owners have wanted to be discrete, because their own right of possession has been in dispute.  I’m assuming this is also true with the others.”  
  
“Exactly.  Tonight the thieves had targeted the Count of Saruman’s diamonds.”  
  
Bilbo whistled.  The question regarding ownership of the diamonds had been in the newspapers a few months earlier, and he had been avidly following the dispute.  “I’m surprised the Count contacted you,” he said.  
  
“Ordinarily he would have hushed it up,” Dwalin agreed.  “But this time someone was killed, so he had no choice but to report it.”  
  
Thorin leaned forward and asked, “One of the thieves, or a member of the household?”  
  
“One of the servants, an elderly man, by the name of Sméagol,” Dwalin replied.  “It would appear the man had tried to prevent the theft, and was killed for his pains.”  
  
“Were the diamonds actually stolen?”  
  
“No, the thieves seemed to have been frightened off by the turn of events.”  
  
Thorin smiled.  “And what evidence was there of this supposed robbery?”  
  
“The back door was forced open, and there were a few small items missing.”  
  
At this point, Bilbo sighed.  Thorin looked over at him, “Don’t worry, dear fellow, I’m not going to drag you out and make you miss supper.  I doubt there is much to be seen, the inclement weather and the forces of law and order will have obliterated anything of interest.  We can go tomorrow, after breakfast.”  
  
“Second breakfast,” Bilbo muttered.  
  
Dwalin looked across at him in some surprise, but Thorin simply nodded.  
  
Bilbo disappeared and returned shortly carrying a supper tray.  The housekeeper had laid it out for two people, but there was enough for Dwalin to share.  
  
When they had finished Thorin said, “It will be difficult to find a cab in this weather, so you are welcome to spend the night on the sofa if you wish.”  
Dwalin looked out of the window and accepted the offer.  
  
***  
  
The following morning, after Dwalin and Thorin had eaten breakfast and Bilbo had managed both breakfast and second breakfast, they took a cab to the Count of Saruman’s townhouse.  Once there, whilst Dwalin and Bilbo waited to be admitted, Thorin slipped round to look at the back door.  He hurriedly rejoined them just as they were being ushered into the drawing room.  
  
As they entered the drawing room, Thorin whispered to Dwalin, “Ask how the door was normally fastened, and at what time.”  
  
Accordingly, once Dwalin has asked the Count a few preliminary questions, he said, “Could you tell me at one time the door was locked at night, and how this would be done.”  
  
“Of course,” the Count replied.  “The door is locked at six o’clock every evening.  Ever since the first burglaries happened I have insisted on this.   
There are bolts top and bottom and a lock in the middle.  The key is kept with the other household keys.”  
  
“Yet,” Thorin said, “looking at the door, the only marks are where the lock is, and even those are insufficient to have forced open a locked door.  There was no attempt to smash either of the bolts.”  
  
“And could you describe the items which were taken and where they were taken from?” Dwalin continued.  
  
“Mere trifles, hardly worth worrying about.  They were taken from the dining room.”  
  
“And were the diamonds kept in the dining room?” Thorin asked.  
  
“No, of course not.  They are locked in the safe in my study.”  
  
“And your study is close to the dining room, I presume?”  
  
“The other end of the house.”  
  
“Forgive me if I am wrong, Count.  But are you telling us the burglars entered the house, made a detour via the dining room to pick up a few oddments, before heading for your study, where they found and killed your servant?”  
  
“My servant, as I told the inspector at the time, was killed close to the back door.”  
  
“My apologies.  So in fact they stepped over the dead body, went to the dining room, selected a few napkin rings and then ran out again, incidentally stepping back over the body, because they’d suddenly realised what they’d done?”  
  
Saruman stood up.  “I don’t know what you are implying, but you will leave my house immediately.”  
  
Dwalin took a whistle out of his pocket and blew it.  At once the constables who had been waiting outside the house in accordance with the telegram he had sent to Scotland Yard earlier that morning entered, preventing both Saruman and his staff from leaving.  
  
Satisfied with the outcome, Thorin and Bilbo left Dwalin to make the arrests.  
  
Later, when they were back at Baker Street, and Bilbo had his elevenses, Thorin explained that Sméagol, whose name had been briefly mentioned in the dispute concerning the diamonds, had almost certainly been blackmailing the Count regarding the rightful ownership of the jewels.  And the Count had taken advantage of the recent spate of burglaries to rid himself of the blackmailer.  
  
“So it had nothing to do with the jewel thefts.”  
  
“I think not.  Those I suspect are the work of Professor Smaug, but as yet I do not have sufficient proof to trap him.”


End file.
